This invention relates to a gateway plate or cover for an inward slot on a spar, and more particularly an inward slot as found commonly on a mast, boom, or beam (generally and collectively, a ‘spar’) on sailing vessels having an aperture for loading and unloading cars, carriers (collectively ‘slugs’) and similar such slide member as would be used on the leading edge on a mainsail, for example.
Masts for sail vessels such as sailboats have a rearward facing slot or channel for supporting a luff or leading edge of a mainsail. For example, the luff of the sail may be attached to a bolt-rope, and a circular channel having a restricted opening may be provided in the mast. The boltrope is introduced at an enlarged opening in the channel near the bottom of the mast, and the sail may be raised and lowered using a halyard attached to the head of the sail. In other arrangements, the luff may be secured to a plurality of spaced sail slugs (also may be called sail slides, lugs, or slide members, but for clarity are referred to herein as “sail slugs”): The sail slugs slide in the channel (also called a groove, or track, or slot but for clarity referred to herein as a “channel”) and are shaped to correspond to the shape of the interior channel, such as t-shaped or U-shaped, for example (refer to common channels known in the art as FIG. 1 depicts).
As discussed by Frederiksen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,881 issued on 1996-08-20, track systems are generally known in this art. Such common systems include an essentially U-shaped track is essentially that is adapted for mounting on the mast with the cavity facing the groove. The fastening means are screws being inserted through transverse openings in the track. For fastening the track onto the mast, each individual slide member is to be slid in the groove, until its threaded hole is aligned with the corresponding transverse opening in the track, whereafter a screw is inserted through the transverse opening to engage the threaded hole in the slide member. One problem highlighted by Frederiksen with this common system is that it is a rather difficult and time-consuming operation, and it is particularly difficult to bring the screw into engagement with the threaded hole. Further, said system has the drawback that the slide member slides downwards, until it abuts the subjacent slide member, if a screw is unscrewed after the track has been mounted. It is not possible to mount this slide member again without loosening all of the remaining slide members that have been used to fasten the track to the mast. This operation is often very time-consuming, since slide members are sometimes used.
To overcome these known limitations, Frederiksen suggests a system and method for mounting tracks on an upright mast wherein the number of slide members corresponding to the number of transverse openings in the track are arranged in the groove, and a fastening means, such as a screw, is inserted through the lowermost transverse opening to engage the axial opening in the lowermost slide member. The row of slide members are then moved upwards by means of a tool, for instance a screwdriver inserted in between the track and the mast. Thus, when the lowermost slide member is aligned with the second lowermost opening, the outermost end of the protruding portion of the slide member falls into the recess in the track, when the track is slightly preloaded towards the mast. The preload may be provided by pressing lightly against the track with the hand or by tightening the lowermost screw. This procedure is continued in an upward direction, until all of the slide members engage the corresponding transverse openings in the track. For every fourth to eighth slide member, it may be advantageous to fasten a screw in order to control the track more easily.
Yet, despite such improvements this common chore remains problematic. And, in windy or adverse weather the task of raising a sail becomes more difficult and in certain instances can become unsafe. For example, each time the power of the wind catches a raised sail (or partially raised sail) there is the danger of the sail flogging and the jerking of the boat, which is compounded when the boat sits atop of a trailer during setup. And, the hazard of this task when done on the open water is even greater—thus, the current art requires at least one able-bodied sailor with two hands, or preferably, a pair of sailors with one loading the sail slugs in the slot and the second sailor maintaining force on the halyard.
The conventional teaching in the art instructs installing a mainsail on an aluminum-extruded mast by connecting the main halyard to the sail's head. Then, one hand (or one sailor) hoists the sail up slowly several inches until the sail's first top sail-slug aligns with the sail slot opening in the mast, and the other hand (or second sailor) will insert the sail-slug into the sail slot opening to engage the sail track slot. This hoisting and inserting continues with two hands (or two sailors) till the last sail-slug is up the sail track, then a slot-stop or other means is installed above the slot opening to block the track, thus preventing the sail-slugs from spilling out of the open sail slot when lowering sail before: launching; reefing; or docking.
One attempt to improve raising a main sail includes a slot-stop device that creates a no-slug zone. But, this results in a higher vertical profile distance between the boom and the sail head, thus impeding the viewing area for the helmsman, increasing wind resistance, and requiring more canvas for making a sail cover. Also, with the increased vertical profile caused by the no-slug zone, there is greater working distance between the reefing J-hook on the boom and the sail's luff reef cringle.
Further, current methods and devices sometimes result in a missed slug. This requires a time consuming lowering of the sail, removing each slug until the missed slug is re-fed and the raising procedure is repeated.
Also, during windy times, it is safer and quicker to load the sail downward toward the boom so the sail is never opened to the wind and many existing devices and methods do not adequately allow a sailor to load the sail in this manner.
Further limitations in the known art include, for systems that require screws, screws often fall overboard, it is hard to use a screwdriver while on water, mast and screws are different metals that cause electrolysis corrosion that eat away the threads and/or cause the screws to seize, and manipulation of known systems often require two hands.
Thus, there remains a need for a device and method that improves the art of sail-raising using an internal guide or track as is common in the art. Such an improved device and method should be able to be retrofitted to existing spars. Ideally, such a device would include a one-way gate-track cover or lid that can be installed in many existing aluminum extruded masts to resolve the above issues by being able to install sail-slugs downward toward the boom, so the sail is never caught opened to the wind and to be able to load missed slugs without removing other slugs.